


The Key

by firegrilled



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Piles of fluff and humor, Sexual Humor, backpacking AU, minor Aruani, minor reibert - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-27 20:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6299386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firegrilled/pseuds/firegrilled
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren leaves to go backpack with his best friend Armin, leaving his boyfriend behind to fend for himself for two months. Of course Jean spends his last moments complaining about it until Eren gives him his key a symbol of his promise to return.</p><p>This is a gift for hanaji-ga-eren on tumblr based on one of their art pieces~</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Key

“But I need you here.” Jean grumbled from atop their shared bed, legs crisscrossed. His eyes quickly traced Eren’s hurried movements around their messy bedroom.

“No,” Eren paused to cast a brief smirk before returning to gather his belongings. A tube of toothpaste fell out of his grasp and landed on some dirty sweatshirts. “You need my asshole.”

“That’s not true!” Jean scoffed. “I need that like three times a week.”

Eren paused again to shoot his boyfriend a look of disbelief. “Don’t lie, Kirschtein.”

“Okay, seven days a week.”

“Getting closer.” Eren dipped down to retrieve the last of his toiletries and awkwardly shuffled back to his suitcase. “Besides, two months won’t kill you.”

“But what if it does? I haven’t had a dry spell that long since high school!” Jean groaned again. He fell back onto the bed and stretched his arms above his head.

“You got hands. Use ‘em.”

Jean knew he could complain all he wanted but nothing was going to change the fact Eren’s trip was already book and leaving in the next two hours. Nothing except Eren’s talent for procrastination. Three months he knew he would be travelling with Armin and yet he still managed to put off buying a suitcase and packing for the morning before their flight. There was still something oddly attractive about watching his flustered boyfriend scramble around for all his belongings though.

“Forgetting anything?” Jean chimed in.

“Uh. Clothes, phone, food, toothbrush, sleeping bag… oh wait I need that.”

Eren maneuvered around some discarded pants to get to the closet and began digging though his belongings to find his bedroll. After a minute of digging he emerged victorious with his prize from the trash dump that was Eren’s closet. Jean technically used it too but his stuff was far and few in between compared to Eren’s packrat habits.

“Did you get soap? I wouldn’t wish that upon Armin, even if he is stealing you from me.”

“Fuck off, Jean. I have like four bars.” Eren glared as he rerolled his sleeping bag, slowly pushing the stale air out of the fabric. “Besides, you’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.”

“Trust me, you’ve left plenty of yourself around here.” Jean gestured dramatically to all the laundry on the floor and the mountain of sweaters next to the dresser. “If I miss you I can just cuddle a sweater. Or use a sock if my hands hurt.”

“Goddamnit, if you do that you’re washing all—”

“Hey you two.” A curt voice interrupted from the doorway.

Jean and Eren stopped their banter to see Armin leaning on their doorframe with a baby blue rolling suitcase at his side. He was dressed in a white button down shirt underneath a blue cardigan, matching the color of his suitcase. His khaki pants only made him seem more formal than necessary.

“How long have you been standing there?” Jean questioned as his face slowly flushed red.

“Long enough.” Armin replied, equally red. “Are you ready Eren?”

“One sec.” Eren spoke quietly, not daring to face Armin. He had a nine hour flight ahead of him for that.

“You’re going to have him for two months. Don’t rush my last moments with him.” Jean pushed himself off the bed and pulled Eren into a tight embrace.

“Seventeen years we’ve been wanting to this. I’m excited!” Armin’s voice rose from excitement. There was an undeniable spark to his aqua blue eyes. Jean knew he couldn’t deny his words either. Armin had known Eren since preschool and travelling the world was one of the first things he learned about the pair. Right after him and Eren had introduced each other to their fists in second grade. How things had changed over the years.

Both boys watched in silence as Eren stuffed his sleeping bag into the small suitcase with no grace at all. He was lucky they just needed the suitcase to get to Europe. From there Armin could help him purchase and appropriately sized hiking backpack.

“You two have fun in the mountains.” Jean wished. While he was sad Eren would be leaving for a while, it was an experience he wanted to have and Jean knew it meant the world to him.

“Not just the mountains,” Armin corrected. “The woods, countryside, and lakes too! So many cool new places.”

“Yeah. Also I’m ready.” Eren pulled the zipper closed with a grunt. His poor suitcase looked ready to explode. If he was unlucky the TSA would go through his bag so Jean hoped his sake that would not happen.

“I’d drive you two if not for my final, sorry.” Jean escorted Eren and Armin to the door, trying his best to not drag his feet.

“It’s ok.” Eren smiled as they arrived at the doorway. He turned around with a grin and pulled Jean in for a deep kiss. “I promise to top that when I return.”

Eren gave Jean a quick wink but it did little to soothe Jean’s nerves. “How do I know you’ll keep that promise?”

That came across a little more blunt than Jean intended but it was nothing new for Eren. He let go of his suitcase and pulled the string around his neck off. “Here. My key. Hold onto it for me as my promise.”

“Your mom’s old key?”

“Think of it as a key to my heart.”

“Cheesy, but it works.” Jean smiled weakly before nodding and placing the key and string around his neck. A foreign but not unwelcomed feeling. He dipped down and Eren met him halfway for one more kiss.

“Not to rush you guys or anything, but our taxi is here.” Armin reminded his friends. Jean shot him a cold glare.

Eren broke off the kiss to grab his suitcase. “See you soon.”

Jean watched quietly as his friends ran to the stairs before proceeding to stumble down them. His peaceful mood was ruined by an unwanted voice though.

“That could also be a key to his asshole.” His neighbor added to the previous conversation.

“Connie, shut the fuck up.”

\---

Despite having a full time internship for the summer, two months still passed along quite slowly. There was only so much sleeping with Eren’s dirty sweaters, using his hands, or staring at old pictures of them on Facebook could do. Eren’s cellphone was useless abroad since Armin and him adopted a no technology policy on their trips. A few postcards had come through but they mostly amounted to ‘wish you were here’.

When they day of Eren’s return arrived, Jean took the day off from work to get his friends from the airport. He stood at the exit gate impatiently waiting as Eren’s flight came in. His palms were sweaty, goosebumps lined his arms, and chills continuously flowed down his spine causing the hairs on the back of his neck to rise. Wave after wave of passengers came through the gate, each one starting a new flutter of butterflies in Jean’s belly. Finally the familiar combination of chestnut hair and fierce green eyes caught his attention.

New life returned to the exhausted and jetlagged Eren when he saw Jean bouncing on his feet at the exit. His calm and deliberately slow walk towards Jean only served to build tension on his boyfriend’s behalf. Ignoring the little voice in his head that told him to wait, Jean ran at Eren and quickly embraced his small boyfriend. Eren’s olive skin had darkened from his adventures and his body seemed a little lighter from before he left. They embraced tightly as time seemed to slow around them.

“Hey, Jaeger.” Jean greeted softly.

“Sup, assbutt.” Eren lovingly replied, pulling Jean’s head down for a kiss. It was brief but overwhelming.

It took a moment for Jean to realize something important. “Where’s Armin?”

“Germany still. I’ll tell you on the ride back but long story short we met a trio of hikers and Armin hit it off with a blonde girl named Annie. We found them our second week and travelled together. Since we literally had the same route planned as them.”

“Sounds pleasant.”

“It was until I realized her two friends were dating. A tall loud blond guy and his brunette boyfriend, all three were German.” Eren recalled.

“They remind you of me?”

“Only how loud they were.” Eren grinned, earning a jab to the shoulder. Jean continued leading him towards the car. “Reiner, the blond guy, brought a lot of rope on that trip. More than he needed.”

When they reached the car Jean opened the backseat door and tossed Eren’s hiking backpack in the read. “What was the issue?”

“His boyfriend had rope marks on his hands _every morning_.”

“Kinky. Can I try that when we get home?” Jean gave a sly smile as he opened the door for Eren. The cold look of death in his boyfriend’s eyes gave him his answer. “Oh before I forget, your mom’s key.” 

Jean carefully pulled the necklace off and placed it over Eren’s head delicately.

“Thanks! You always know the key to my heart.”

“And perhaps the key to your asshole.”

Eren stopped midway into the car to shoot him a look of disgust. “What?”

“Connie said it first.” Jean defended himself, although his desperation was becoming even more apparent.

“Shut the fuck up, Kirschtein.”

**Author's Note:**

> I almost forgot how fun it was to write banter between Eren and Jean, and very briefly Connie. This is just a little fun thing to do for [hanaji-ga-eren](http://hanaji-ga-eren.tumblr.com/) and a little bit of writing to help destress from a busy week. Thank you guys for reading, and as always all comments and feedback are appreciated either on here or on [tumblr](http://firegrilled.tumblr.com/). I love responses from you guys in either messages or asks.
> 
> And if you somehow do not know of [hanaji-ga-eren's](http://hanaji-ga-eren.tumblr.com/) art or tumblr, boy do I know a good art blog for you. Check it out bc his work is great. If you love Erejean you'll be in paradise!


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